Introduction

First published in 1914, Booth Tarkington’s Penrod is the first collection of stories that follow the adventures of the eponymous twelve-year-old protagonist. The stories are set in early-twentieth century American Midwest. Often compared to Mark Twain’s young heroes Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, young Penrod Schofield engages in a series of childish adventures that Tarkington presents in full and passionate details. The narrative is characterized by a high degree of suspense, risk-taking and innocent humor. This is encountered mainly in short stories like “A Boy and His Dog,” “Evils of Drink,” “Uncle John” and “The Inner Boy.”

Characters

In addition to the protagonist, other interesting characters are introduced in this seminal book to reappear in later volumes. They mainly include Penrod’s faithful dog Duke and his intimate friend Sam Williams, in addition to other minor characters. Their naughtiness often gets them into serious trouble with bad-tempered adults. Yet, they always manage to escape using their wit and childish bravery.

Significance

In addition to being a pleasant read, the collection, along with its sequels Penrod and Sam (1916) and Penrod Jashber (1929), offers an overview of American society, culture and tradition of the turn of the century.